webcam

After starting out producing security cameras, German-based Mobotix is now taking video surveillance to new heights – literally. One of the company’s type-M12 cameras has been situated at an altitude of 5,643-meters (18,514 ft) on the Kala Patthar mountain to stream high definition images of the summit of the nearby 8,848-meter (29,029 ft) high Mount Everest. The solar-powered webcam takes the title of the world’s highest webcam from the now second highest webcam in the world located at the 4,389-meter (14,400 ft) high base camp of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. Read More

Motion controlled videogaming, ushered in by Nintendo’s Wii and joined by the PlayStation Move and Kinect, has opened up a whole new market of casual gamers – not least of all because of the ease with which previous non-gamers can get into the action without the need to learn complicated button layouts on a traditional controller. Educational toy company Comfy figured that such ease of use is ideal for its target audience of kids aged four to eight and has released a motion controlled education game console called iCam that has been dubbed “the baby Wii.” Read More

Technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have set up a live feed webcam inside the clean room of the Mars Science Laboratory in Pasadena, California. There's no audio but anyone can tune in and watch them put NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover together. On those rare occasions when nothing much is going on in the lab, the feed will be supplemented with interview footage from team members. Read More

Sitting in front of your computer could soon be the fastest way to receive a medical check up, replacing visits to the local doctor. Massachusetts Institute of Technology student Ming-Zher Poh has created a pulse-monitoring system that works on a low-cost, low-resolution webcam. A version of the system built into a mirror has been developed which displays pulse rate at the bottom in real-time, and work is underway to add respiration and blood-oxygen level monitoring using the same technique. Read More

Microsoft Corp has announced its new LifeCam Studio webcam kit with 1080p sensor and high-definition video. It is the first time Microsoft has offered a 1080p sensor on a webcam, which the company states is 2.2 times larger than most webcam sensors on the market. However, to gain the most out of the 1080p HD recording capabilities, you will need to buy commercial video software which is not included with the kit. Read More

They're not a failed attempt at Belgian jigsaw camouflage or a trophy from clown school, these colorful lycra gloves are the vital component in a new gestural user input system developed by researchers at MIT. When used with a standard webcam and some clever software, the wearer's hand movements are instantaneously translated into on-screen commands or control gestures. Commercial development of the system could lead to widespread availability of cheap and easy-to-use spatial gesture interfaces. Read More

Microsoft is preparing the launch of an all-new Windows Live Messenger as part of its Wave 4 version of Windows Live. The range of new features will appeal to the modern online generation and are a significant step up over previous versions. Read More

To take full advantage of stereo sound, many consumers will install their AV equipment to suit the room’s furniture – sound and vision pointing to the best seat in the house so you can take full advantage of that stereo “sweetspot”. That’s fine when you’re sitting watching a movie, but what happens you start playing the latest active games on Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s PlayStation3 and Microsoft’s Project Natal? Researchers at the Technology University of Dresden, Germany, have the answer. Read More

With many online video resources now encouraging HD uploads, what vloggers and podcasters need in order to finally ditch the grainy low quality affairs that have plagued our online experience for far too long is a high definition webcam. Microsoft has responded to the call with three new 720p HD webcams which TrueColor Technology which, the company claims, automatically adjusts picture quality to give optimum brightness and color whatever light is available. Read More